Rawalpindi:
While the triggering of conjunctivitis (pink eye) spreads on Rawalpindi and Islamabad, the prices of related medicines – including eye drops and rose water – jumped on the free market, while the essential eye drops for conjunctivitis would have disappeared from local stores.
With the increase in the cost of these treatments, the number of cases of conjunctivitis increases at an alarming rate. In the past three days, nearly 2,964 patients, suffering from conjunctivitis, have visited the three large hospitals in Rawalpindi’s eyes: Holy Family Hospital, the district headquarters hospital, Benazir Bhutto hospital and the cantonment hospital.
Private hospitals and local clinics also see long queues of patients. A large number of families in twin cities have been affected, but neither the district health service nor the district administration launched an awareness campaign or published a public opinion concerning the issue. This lack of action contributes to an increasing number of cases.
As the situation gets worse, local pharmacies increased the prices of all related eye drops which were previously available for RS90 but which were now sold for Rs160.
Dr. Inayat, the assistant medical superintendent of BBH, stressed that conjunctivitis is a very contagious disease. If a person in a household, an office or a school is infected, infection can quickly spread to others, he added.
“The infection can be transmitted by hand handles, towels or shared utensils, or in close contact with an infected person. To avoid a new transmission, doctors recommend to wash their eyes to clean water, apply drops for the prescribed eyes and avoid touching your eyes with your hands. ”
Medical experts advised patients to wear dark sunglasses to protect their eyes from sunlight and lively lights and apply ice tablets for relief.
